Talking Sleep

Zolpidem and the Glymphatic System

4 snips
Jul 11, 2025
Dr. Natalie Hauglund, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford, discusses her groundbreaking research on zolpidem and its effects on the glymphatic system, vital for brain waste clearance. Her study reveals that zolpidem reduces this process by 30%, raising concerns about long-term cognitive health. They delve into the unexpected benefits of microarousals during sleep, linking them to better brain clearance. Hauglund challenges current prescribing practices, questioning the trade-offs between medicated sleep and potential neurodegenerative risks.
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INSIGHT

Sleep-Driven Brain Cleaning

  • The glymphatic system is a brain cleaning network using CSF to flush waste during sleep.
  • It is far more active in sleep than wakefulness and removes metabolites like amyloid beta.
INSIGHT

Vascular Pump Drives CSF Flow

  • Infraslow vascular oscillations (~50s) drive CSF movement through the brain during non-REM sleep.
  • Norepinephrine release times these arterial constrictions and dilations that pump CSF.
INSIGHT

Microarousals Mirror Clearance Cycles

  • Microarousals occur alongside the infraslow norepinephrine oscillations about every 50 seconds in non-REM sleep.
  • Mice with more microarousals showed better tracer clearance, linking arousals to glymphatic activity.
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